After nearly 6 months of silence ...

... I've surfaced! Still not organised, not completely unpacked, but renovations are done and I love my new house, the surrounding gardens and of course, seeing my little grand daughters daily. The vegetable garden is under way with winter veggies taking off, and even though it's winter we are picking lettuce and rocket every day for salads. The chooks love it and you'd think the old black cat had lived here all his life. I've even bought a car, after many, many years of not driving.

Thank you to all my blogging friends who have supported me through these months with comments and emails; I can't tell you how much I appreciate that. For quite a while I didn't have internet access and the first thing I did once online was catch up on all my favourite blogs. I try to comment as often as possible because I know how encouraging that can be.

At the moment I'm working to get my work room unpacked and usable so that I can make some books. I've done one commercial job and I'm about to do another, so that is a great incentive to get organised.

I received 2 wonderful parcels recently from Gracia & Louise. These contained collaged zines by Gracia Haby - "Tumble & Fall", a magical book of stars, and "A vagary of impediments & a sneak of weasels", an illustrated list of collective nouns. Beautifully presented and packaged, the parcels also contained cards, and a most welcome surprise - a copy of "Tweak, Tweaked, Tweet", a concertina of Australian birds, by Louise Jennison. Visit them and see what they are making. Thank you Gracia and Louise. Oh, and if you are fascinated with collective nouns, do visit their other site here.

Another surprise came my way a few days later when I read in Melior's blog Bibliophilia that I'd won her June give-away. This, #1 of her zine "The Happy Bus" has now arrived in the mail and I'm delighted with it. Original writing by Meliors and others, a fold out map showing Neural Pathways to Happiness and a little packet of stickers - plenty to read and think about. Thanks Meliors. Now, if you don't know Melior's blog I suggest you visit and leave a comment by 14 July. You'll be in the running for her July give-away - a staghorn coral brooch, embroidered to represent a fragment of bleached coral.

Way back at the beginning of this year Astrid tagged me. In response, rather than list things about myself, I think I'll just lead you to a few new blogs I'm reading. There are so many interesting book binders and book artists out there now and I find more each day. In fact Astrid's blog is a great source of new blogs for me. I'll try to add a couple each new post. I think it's important that we support one another.

Blue Roof Designs; Books by Rachel; CaiLun; Moonbindery; Buechertiger; Paper Curious - so read them and enjoy. And don't forget to leave a comment now and then.